10 healthy habits for students

healthy habits for students

During school life and university life, it's hard to find time for balance. Students tend to work hard, play hard, and suffer on just a few hours of sleep. There's an old truism that you can only choose two of the three: good grades, a healthy amount of sleep, or a social life. This isn't entire true, but it's definitely to maintain good healthy habits as a student.

Whether you are in school or university - or if you are a recent graduate or even a teacher, like me - you can benefit from these healthy habits for students.

Life is all about balance. Obviously good grades are important for a student, but so is your physical and mental health. These good healthy habit tips for students may seem obvious, but they go a long way towards keeping you healthy and happy during your studies.

1. Maintain a healthy sleep schedule - This is the #1 most important healthy habit for students that is more often than not completely ignored. We've written at length before about the importance of maintaining a regular sleep schedule, but how often do students stay up late and wake up late? Even if you are getting the proper number of hours of sleep, if you don't sleep and wake up around the same time every day, you won't be receiving the benefits of being completely well-rested. It's important to wake up at the same time every day - even on the weekends. You might think that you are sleeping well, but try to maintain a good sleep habit and you'll soon realize how much better you feel, how much more energy you have, and how much healthier you are overall.
2. Don't rely too much on caffeine - As a university senior, I got fairly addicted to coffee. That only became worse once I started my professional life as a high school English teacher. Over the years I've been trying hard to cut back on caffeine and replace it with healthier alternatives, but it's hard! Caffeine is literally addictive. Instead of relying on coffee to wake you up and keep you awake, try to train your body to feel more alert without the benefits of caffeine. Even switching from coffee to tea for your source of caffeine can do wonders for your health and happiness.
3. Make time for exercise - Don't be like me! I suffered from the dreaded "freshman 15". I wish I had learned healthy habits as a student instead of trying to get fit and healthy after graduating. Besides maintaining healthy eating habits, it's important to make time for exercise at least three times per week. Nearly every university has a fitness facility, or even a jogging track, where students can exercise to maintain their fitness. Exercising regularly can help you to have better-quality sleep, focus more during class and on your assignments, and keep your body strong and healthy, even when the flu is going around campus.
4. If you do drink, drink in moderation - I'm not going to say that university students should never drink. As I said before, even a healthy social life is an important part of a balanced life, and after all, healthy living is all about moderation. If you do drink, try to limit your alcohol intake, and try to drink only on the weekend. Even if you don't get sick or don't wake up with a hangover, drinking alcohol makes your brain more sluggish (which affects your grades and academic performance), lowers your immune system (which can lead to you becoming sick), and can contribute to anxiety, stress, and depression.
5. Stay hydrated - Hardly any student drinks enough water. Coffee, soda, and alcohol all dehydrate the body. The benefits of hydration are too numerous to count, but a properly hydrated student feels better, performs better physically and academically, gets sick less, and feels happier.
   
6. Avoid all-nighters - We've all had to pull an all-nighter at some point during our academic career. But I can safely say that every all-night study session that I undertook was a result of my own procrastination and poor time management. Avoid them whenever you can, as staying up all night lowers your mental and academic performance the next day, increases your stress hormones, and throws off your circadian rhythm, which interferes with your healthy sleep schedule.
7. Practice good hygiene - Wash your hands, shower regularly, wash your face. Stay clean and you'll get sick a lot less!
8. Brush and floss your teeth - Flossing is important, but hardly anyone does it regularly. Making it a habit to floss your teeth now will help protect more than your dental health in the future. Flossing is related to a reduction in heart disease and dementia! Make it a habit now while you are young, and carry that good habit with you throughout your life.
9. Limit working hours and maintain a good balance - The keyword here is balance. Make time to study, but also make time to watch the football game with your friends. Go to the student events, make time for your family, and exercise, but do it all in moderation. The proper work (or study) and life balance is the secret to a healthy and happy lifestyle.
10. Make time for yourself - Sometimes, everyone needs to be alone for a while. It's important to take time away from your busy study schedule and your friends to recharge your batteries doing an activity that you enjoy - like taking a walk or reading a book. This habit can help improve your mood and make you feel happier and less stressed, despite your heavy workload.

These are just a few of the healthy habits for students that can help improve your grades, health, and overall happiness. It's hard to find balance in the busy life of a student, but taking time to develop good habits will help you to find that balance.